The Chronicles of Lily Kingston
by bandgeek109
Summary: A year has went by since the closing of the breach. The world for the most part has gone back to normal. One day during patrolling the south-western part of Kodiak Island, rookie pilot Lily Kingston loses her brother in a battle against six enemy jaegers. After losing her brother, Lily must find a new co-pilot and get revenge on those who killed her brother.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

Lily sighed heavily as she walked the south-western border of Kodiak Island. The cold water was heavily lapping at her jaeger's black legs.

"Bored?" asked Lily's co-pilot.

"You have no idea," replied Lily.

"I'm in your head, remember?"

"I try no to."

"Smartass."

"Jerk."

Lily felt an amused feeling rubbing against the edge of her mind.

"Patrol is so boring," said Lily. "Why couldn't we have been born a couple of years earlier so we could have fought in the Kaiju war?"

"You and me both sister," answered Jack.

"Pay attention kids," interrupted another voice.

"To what exactly George?" asked Jack. "There's nothing out there."

"Remember, we're not the only ones who developed stealth technology for our Jaeger's," replied George's brother and co-pilot, Steven.

Despite Jack's silence, Lily could feel her brother's annoyance through the drift.

"How long have we been out here?" asked Lily, more for Jack's sake then her own.

"We have another hour before our shift ends," replied Sarah,

Jack just grunted. Before Lily could say anything, she felt a massive force hit the left side of their jaeger. She and Jack staggered several steps before they caught their balance.

"Listen kiddies," said Jane, Sarah's sister and co-pilot and also the leader of the patrol team. "Whoever is out there, it's our job to keep them from getting on land. Understood?"

"Understood," said Jack and Lily.

Jack and Lily turned toward the coast to face the enemy. Out of the fog came six Jaegers. Judging on the design, they all appeared to be Mark-5 class.

"It looks like we're outnumbered baby sister," said Jack. "You scared?"

"Hell no," replied Lily. "And you're only older than me by ten minutes."

"I'm still older then you."

"Enough of the chitchat kids," came George's voice. "Since you guys have the Mark-6 Jaeger, you'll provide the head of the formation. We'll be right behind you."

Lily sighed shakily and began moving forward with the two other Jaeger's of the patrol team closing in on either side of her. Lily could feel her heart beating rapidly against her chest.

"Don't worry Lily," said Jack. "We can kick their butts."

"They outnumber us six to three Jack," replied Lily.

"Yeah, but they don't have a Mark-6 Jaeger."

Lily smirked at her brother's comment. Through the drift, Lily could feel her brother's reassurance.

"We should try far range weapons first," said Jane.

Lily raised her right arm with her hand in a fist. She could hear the machines to her bottom right begin to power up. The jaeger's right hand opened up to become a plasma cannon.

"Fire at will," commanded Jane.

Lily fired the cannon several times at the lead Jaeger's torso. Eventually, it fell into the cold ocean, causing some waves to lap at Lily's "legs." The other five Jaegers continued to proceed with their advance without breaking formation. The jaeger to Lily's right began to power up its plasma cannon as well.

"We got this one," said George, firing their jaeger's plasma cannon.

The second jaeger fell, leaving the numbers four to three.

"Alright children, they're becoming too close for far range combat," said Sarah. "It's time for close range combat."

Lily and Jack made their way to make confrontation with the Jaeger to their left. The enemy Jaeger released its chain blade.

"Oh look Lily," said Jack feigning impression. "Isn't that cute?"

Lily smirked at his comment. Jack released the Shadow Samurai's chain blade and stabbed the Jaeger through the core. Lily could see the edge of the silver blade force its way to the back of the enemy jaeger. Jack removed the chain blade and let the Jaeger fall.

"Three down, three to go," said Lily.

Before Lily and Jack could make their way to the next jaeger, a massive force shook the Shadow Samurai hard. The conn-pod jerked suddenly to the right, making the jaeger stumble several steps. Before Lily and Jack could regain their balance, another force caused them to fall into the ocean.

"COWARDS!" yelled Jack as he and Lily hit the ocean floor.

Lily could feel her brother's rage. Combined with her anger, the twins stood up and faced the jaeger that attacked them. Lily threw the first punch at their opponent, Jack's punch not too far behind.

Just as Lily was about to throw another punch, a powerful force pushed them forward. Then all of a sudden, someone grabbed the conn-pod and began to pull up. Lily and Jack tried to fight back by elbowing them. Before they could break free, the jaeger in front of them raised its right hand, signaling to stop. The jaeger behind them released its hold.

"Jane," said Lily urgently. "Where are you? We're getting our butts handed to us."

"Our hands are kind of tied right now kid," she replied apologetically.

"GEORGE!" Jack roared. "WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?"

"These guys are putting up quite the fight friend," said George calmly.

"It looks like we're on our own sister."

Lily nodded, not even saying a word to her brother. She knew Jack could feel her fear. The siblings raised their fists, ready to continue the fight.

"To the death," said Lily.

"To the death," copied Jack.

Getting their second wind, Jack began to throw the first punch. The jaeger dodged it and provided a counter punch to the conn-pod. Lily, without even thinking, backhanded the jaeger's own conn-pod. Jack giggled at Lily as he activated the chain sword.

"They deserved it," Lily said, glaring at Jack.

"I know," replied Jack with a smirk on his lips.

The last jaeger standing in front of them activated its plasma canon and aimed it at Shadow Samurai. Before they could fire their weapon, Jack pushed the chain sword through the enemy's conn-pod. The conn-pod fell freely into the freezing water while the headless jaeger fell to its knees and disappeared under the waves.

Before Jack could even retract the chain sword, the sirens in Shadow Samurai began to blare.

"Warning!" said the jaeger AI. "System infected!"

"What happened?" yelled Lily over the alarms.

"I think it was when we were in the chock hold!" replied Jack. "They must have somehow infected Shadow Samurai's systems!"

Lily could feel a little bit of her heartbreak. Shadow Samurai had always been good to her and Jack. It always protected them from the dangers the enemy threw at them. Now, Shadow Samurai was reaping the consequences because Lily and Jack could not protect themselves.

"Warning!" said the AI. "Left hemisphere infected."

Lily and Jack looked at their screen.

"Show source of infection!" commanded Jack.

A holographic image of Shadow Samurai appeared before them. The source of the infection was in the harness itself.

"Disengaging left hemisphere pilot," said the AI.

Lily felt the neural load double. It felt like someone just dumped fifty bricks onto her head.

"Ejecting left hemisphere pilot," the AI said.

Lily whipped her head toward Jack. Before he disappeared, she saw a look of pure horror on his face.

"NO!" exclaimed Lily.

The locks that held Jack in place released and the left part of the harness put Jack in the escape pod.

"Releasing escape pod," the AI said.

Lily could see dot that represented the conn-pod on the screen and land safely in the waters.

_It looks like I am on my own_ thought Lily.

"Shadow Samurai, listen to me!" yelled Lily. "Can the virus be isolated?"

Lily could feel a separate consciousness rubbing against her own. It did not feel like her brother's but it was still familiar.

_I will try my best_ came the response.

On the holographic imaging system, Lily could see no sign of the virus.

"What happened?" asked Lily, the alarms finally gone quiet.

"Lily!" came Jane's voice over the comm. "What is going on? We just saw Jack's escape pod eject!"

"A virus infected Shadow Samurai," Lily replied calmly. "But then it just disappeared."

"I just did a sensory sweep colonel," interrupted George. "I can't find Jack's pod anywhere."

"Don't worry Lily," said Sarah. "We'll find your brother."

Even though the neural load was stilling hold strong, Lily could still feel a bit of relief, knowing that help was coming.

"Can we go now?" asked Steven.

"Lily can," said Sarah.

"Thank you colonel," replied Lily.

"How come she gets to be dismissed and we can't?" complained George.

"Because she doesn't have a co-pilot," replied Jane.

"Dumbass," said George.

Lily turned off the comm system so she would not have to listen to her teammates argue. The walk to Anchorage was excruciatingly long for Lily. The neural load felt like it was getting heavier, making it harder for Lily to move.

_I am sorry_ said a voice at the edge of Lily's mind.

"It's okay my friend," responded Lily. "I know you did what you thought was right."

After a half hour went by, Lily finally made to the Anchorage shatterdome. The first set of hangar doors opened up. Lily walked onto the platform that rolled Shadow Samurai into its hangar.

"Disengaging right hemisphere pilot from Shadow Samurai," said the AI.

The weight from the neural load suddenly lifted, leaving Lily lightheaded and dizzy.

"Oh," said Lily before passing out onto the floor of the conn-pod.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Lily woke up to see a white ceiling hanging over her. She blinked a few times to focus her vision. Her head was still pounding from carrying the entire neural load. Lily felt a dull pain through her back. Suddenly, memories of the battle came flooding through her head.

"Jack," murmured Lily.

"Lily?" said someone to Lily's right.

Lily turned her head to see Jane sitting next to her bed.

"Colonel Smith," Lily said, trying to sit up.

"Don't get up," said Jane, putting up her hand. "You've been through a lot."

"What about my brother?"

A sadden look fell on Jane's face.

"We found his escape pod," Jane replied. "But for some reason his escape pod malfunctioned and the flotation devices didn't activate and it sunk underwater. There were cracks in the escape pod and blood on Jack's fist so it looked he tried to get out but water filled the pod and he drowned.

"Did you try to revive him?" demanded Lily.

"Of course we did. However, Jack had been in that pod for several hours by the time we found him. He was beyond our help."

Lily's eyes became warm and wet. Grief put its claws deep within Lily's heart, keeping its grip tight.

"Now what?" asked Lily, her voice shaking.

"Well for now, you should rest," answered Jane. "Once you've recovered, we can start planning Jack's funeral."

Lily nodded, tears starting to spill over.

"I'm sorry we couldn't find him sooner Lily," said Jane.

"I know," said Lily.

Without another word, Jane left the infirmary, leaving Lily alone with nothing but her tears. Now that she was alone, Lily just let her tears freefall. The grief and loneliness was overwhelming. Lily hugged her knees close and her shoulders began to shake.

A couple minutes went by when Lily felt a dip in her bed. Lily lifted her head to see a pair of green eyes staring into her brown eyes.

"Raleigh?" whispered Lily.

Raleigh wrapped his arm around Lily's shoulders and pulled her close, resting his chin on top of her head.

"Colonel Smith told me what happened," said Raleigh. "I'm so sorry."

"Being sorry won't bring Jack back," Lily said coldly.

"Don't I know it? Listen Lily, I lost my brother too during battle. The pain I carried with me was extremely overwhelming."

"I miss him so much Raleigh."

"I know kiddo. Jack was a good soldier and a great friend."

"He was an even better brother."

Raleigh squeezed Lily's shoulder. He sat quietly on the edge of Lily's bed as she cried on Raleigh's shoulder. Minutes rolled by, before Lily heard footsteps approach them. Lily looked up to see Mako. She was holding a glass of iced water and a couple Advil.

"I'm sorry for your loss Lily," Mako said with a set of sad brown eyes.

"I know," Lily whispered.

"I know this won't ease the pain of your heart, but perhaps will help with your headache. The nurse asked me to give it to you."

Mako went Lily's side next to Raleigh and gave her the Advil and water. Lily chugged the water down with the painkillers and gave Mako the empty glass.

"Thank you Mako," Lily said.

"You are welcome," said Mako. "I also have information about the virus that infected Shadow Samurai. The virus was designed to infect the conn-pod and force the jaeger to eject its pilots."

"Why didn't it eject me as well?"

"We are still trying to figure that out."

"What about the escape pod malfunction?"

"Just a design malfunction. I'm sorry Lily."

Mako patted Lily on her arm and left the infirmary.

"Excuse me Mr. Becket," said someone from behind Raleigh.

Lily raised her head above Raleigh's shoulder to see a nurse standing behind him.

"Now that Lieutenant Kingston is awake, I would like to do another checkup on her," she said, taking a couple steps forward.

"Of course," Raleigh said, standing up from the bed. "See you later kid."

Raleigh left the infirmary, most likely in search of his own co-pilot. The nurse walked to over to Lily's bed and stuffed a thermometer in her mouth.

"How are you feeling lieutenant?" asked the nurse.

"Like I just lost my co-pilot," Lily answered sarcastically.

"No need to be sarcastic," the nurse scolded.

Lily just glared at the nurse, to tired and depressed to argue. Once the thermometer beeped, the nurse removed it from her mouth and checked the screen.

"You don't seem to have a fever," she said. "That's good. How's your wrist by the way?"

Wondering what the nurse was talking about, Lily looked down to see her left forearm was covered in bandages.

"What happened to my arm?" asked Lily.

"You just sprained your wrist when you fell, don't worry," the nurse replied. "Before I forget, did Miss. Mori give you the Advil?"

Lily nodded.

"Good," said the nurse. "By the way, my name is Nurse Powell. It seems like you are all right physically lieutenant. I am just going to keep you over night, just to be sure though. "

"Alright," Lily said half-heartedly.

Nurse Powell gave a curt before disappearing into her office.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

The next day came by. Nurse Powell gave Lily a fresh set of clothes from her quarters. Once Lily had changed and Nurse Powell gave her one final check over, Lily left the infirmary with a report of being physically sound. However, the grief in Lily's heart was still holding strong. It took every ounce of willpower just to lift her legs, and her gaze almost never left the ground.

"Hey Lily, wait up!" said a voice from behind Lily, their voice echoing throughout the hall.

Lily turned around to see Raleigh running toward her with Mako close behind him.

"It's good to see you on your feet," said Mako.

"Thank you," replied Lily quietly.

"Mako and I are going to the mess hall for lunch," said Raleigh. "Care to join us? I don't think they've been feeding you good quality food at the infirmary."

Lily was just about to turn down the offer when her stomach growled at her.

"I suppose a bit to eat won't hurt me," said Lily.

"Good," responded Raleigh.

Lily followed behind Mako and Raleigh to the crowded mess hall. Loud chatter reverberated off the concrete walls. After being in the quiet infirmary for a couple days, the drastic volume change was a bit of a shock to Lily.

The trio went to the lunch line. Lily did not get much. She just got a helping of salad with ranch dressing and water. When they sat down at an open table, Raleigh inspected Lily's tray.

"That's not a whole lot," said Raleigh.

"I'm not in the mood for anything heavy," Lily said.

"Lily, you're a jaeger pilot," said Mako.

"Was a jaeger pilot," corrected Lily. "My co-pilot is dead, remember?"

"I remember. I just assumed you were planning on staying."

"I don't know yet. Jack's death is still too raw for me to successfully pilot a jaeger, especially a Mark-6 jaeger."

"I understand."

"Just don't let your grief consume you," said Raleigh. "It isn't healthy. Trust me, I know from experience."

Lily just nodded and started on her salad. Most of the lunch was in silence. Lily chewed her salad thoughtfully. The grief's hold on heart was still holding strong. The loneliness that held tight, however, had weakened ever so slightly. Knowing that she was not the only one that felt the loss of a brother, especially when connected to him, was a relief.

"So Mako," said Lily, tired of the silence that had fallen between the trio. "Are you going to be in charge of the candidates that will be co-piloting with me?"

"Actually Raleigh is," replied Mako. "I'm already trying to find matchups for several students at the Hong Kong jaeger academy. I'm leaving tomorrow so I can view their fighting styles."

"That's cool."

"We should probably wait awhile though," said Raleigh. "Like you said, the emotions are still raw and it isn't good to carry that much raw emotion into the drift."

Lily nodded her understanding and finished her salad.

"Well, I'm done," said Lily. "Colonel James wanted me to talk to her after I left the infirmary, so I'm out."

"Okay," replied Raleigh. "Catch you later kid."

"Bye," was all that Mako said.

Lily left the noisy mess hall behind her and made her way to Jane's quarters, which also served as her office. When she reached Jane's quarters, she noticed Marshal Hensen standing in front of her quarters. His back was currently to her so he did not notice her presence. Lily walked hesitantly toward the marshal and noticed he was talking to someone.

"I really think I should tell her," said a disembodied voice from the other side of the marshal. It sounded a lot like Jane's voice.

"Of course colonel," said Marshal Hensen. "Just send her to me when you're done with her. I need a few words with your lieutenant. I'll be in Shadow Samurai's hangar."

"Yes sir."

Marshal Hensen turned around and noticed Lily standing there. Lily saw a glimmer of shock before it disappeared behind his mask.

"Lieutenant Kingston, I did not hear you come," Hensen said.

"Sorry sir, I came to talk to Colonel James," responded Lily.

"It is alright lieutenant. Well, when you're done, will you come and see me in your jaeger's hangar?"

"Of course Marshal Hensen."

"Good, well I will see you later."

Lily nodded as Marshal Hensen walked by her.

"What did you want to see me about colonel?" asked Lily.

"This a conversation best in private," said Jane. "Will you step into my office please?"

Lily followed Jane into her quarters, closing the door behind her. Jane sat down in the big leather chair that stood behind the oak desk.

"Sit down," said Jane, which sounded a bit like an ordered, so Lily sat down on the grey chair across the colonel.

"It's good to see you on your feet lieutenant. How are you feeling?"

"Still bit of a minor headache," answered Lily.

"Of course. I mean how you are emotionally. Losing a family member is bad enough. Losing a family member while you are linked with them can't be much better."

"I think it will be awhile before I'm ready to pilot a jaeger ma'am."

"So you're planning on staying then?"

"For the foreseeable future, yes I am."

"Good but I'm assuming your grief is still raw so I'll give you a four week leave before we start testing you with other candidates."

"Thank you colonel."

"Don't mention it. Now there's something else I want to talk to you about before I send you to Marshal Hensen."

"What is it ma'am?"

"You have been made aware of the death of your cousin Lieutenant Aleksis and his wife Lieutenant Sasha, correct?"

"Yes I have."

"Well, about a few months after that letter was sent, the Kaidnoveskys were found on the shore of China, not too far from the Hong Kong Shore."

"WHAT?" exclaimed Lily, standing up suddenly, sending her chair back.

"They were barely alive when they were found," continued Jane, ignoring Lily's outburst. "They both were on critical watch for about month before they were released."

"The battle in Hong-Kong was a year ago. Why wait until now to tell me?"

"It was your cousin's idea actually. He knew you and Jack was still in school so he didn't want to distract you with the news of his situation."

"Jack and I were in grieving for months. How would the news of Aleksis's status distract us?"

"He thought you two would just drop everything and catch the next flight to Hong-Kong to see him. We were going to tell you yesterday after your patrol shift, but, as you know, we got side-tracked."

Rage ran through Lily's veins.

"Permission to be dismissed colonel?" asked Lily, her voice shaking with anger.

"Permission granted lieutenant," replied Colonel James coolly.

Lily stormed out of the office and walked straight to her quarters. She slammed her bedroom door behind her and slumped down on her bed, face buried in the pillow. Lily screamed at the top of her lungs, the pillow muffling the sound. Her blue pillow soaked up Lily's angry tears. After a half hour of wallowing in her self-pity, Lily felt a little tired. The comfort of her bed only extenuated her tiredness more.

Just as Lily was about to fall asleep, she remember she had meet with Marshal Hensen in Shadow Samurai's hangar. Lily sighed as she got up. As Lily got up and walked by the bathroom mirror, she noticed her black hair was a complete mess and her hazel eyes were puffy and red. Lily walked into the bathroom and straightened herself up. She combed out the knots in her hair and splashed her pale face a couple times with cold water. Once she dried off her face, Lily headed to Shadow Samurai's hangar. Lily saw Marshal Hensen standing by her jaeger's head, leaning on the railing and looking down on the hustle and bustle below. Again, his back was to her so he did not see her approach. Lily walked up to the railing and stood next to him.

"You wanted to see me sir?" asked Lily.

"Yes I did," replied Hansen, turning his gaze toward her. Hercules shifted his weight so he was facing her but he still hand right arm rested on the railing. "I was wondering what your future plans were now that your brother is no longer with us?"

"I don't really know sir. My co-pilot is dead and I just found out my cousin and his wife has been alive the whole time. It is a lot to take in. Colonel James has given me a four-week leave. I'm planning on going to Hong Kong to visit my cousin."

"That's good. Four weeks should be enough to at least give you some time to be with family."

"Anything else you wanted to talk about?"

"Well, I would say that I'm sorry for your loss, but I know from experience that is never going to be enough, no matter how many times you hear it or who from. Just try to take it slow lieutenant."

"Yes sir."

Hercules stood up and walked away, disappearing into the crowd. Lily patted her jaeger's conn-pod a couple times before making her way back to her quarters.

A few days passed by since Lily got the news that Aleksis and Sasha were still alive. Yesterday, Marshal Hansen dropped by her quarters after lunch to tell her that she will be leaving today for the Hong-Kong. Lily just finished packing her small bag when she heard a knock on the door.

"Come in!" called Lily.

The door opened and revealed Mako walking in.

"I heard you were going to Hong-Kong as well," said Mako.

"Yes I am," replied Lily. "Are we going together?"

"I believe so."

Lily smiled, relieved that she would not be leaving alone.

"So when are we going?" asked Lily.

"As soon as you're ready," replied Mako.

"I just finished packing, so I guess we can leave now if that is alright."

"Of course it is."

Lily picked up her bag and followed Mako out the door. She gave the room one last look-over before closing the door behind her. Mako led Lily to the helicopter pad on the roof of the shatterdome. Lily looked around, half expecting to see her jaeger standing over them, carried by several helicopters. When Lily set her eyes on the helicopter on the pad, she saw Raleigh waiting for them.

"You coming with us?" asked Lily once they approached the helicopter.

"Yes I am," Raleigh answered. "Mako thought it would be a good idea to bring her co-pilot so she can demonstrate how experienced co-pilots do combat with each other."

"Is Shadow Samurai staying here?" asked Lily

"Of course it is," said Mako like it was obvious.

Lily looked over to the giant metal doors that lead to her jaeger's hangar. Lily felt like she was leaving a bit of herself behind.

_I will be back my friend_ thought Lily.

"Any time you're ready Lily," said Mako, bring Lily back out of her head.

Mako and Raleigh were waiting for Lily in the helicopter that sat on the pad. Lily ran to the helicopter and jumped in, ready to leave for Hong-Kong. She closed the door behind her and sat across from Mako and her co-pilot.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

The helicopter ride to Hong-Kong was long. Ten and a half hours went by before they finally landed at the Hong-Kong shatterdome. Raleigh led Lily and Mako out of the cool Hong-Kong weather and into the warm building, leaving the helicopter behind.

The three co-pilots stepped into the empty elevator, the heavy metal doors closing behind them.

"Uh, Mako," said Lily, breaking the silence between them. "Why are we going here instead of the Vladivostok shatterdome?"

"The Russian government saw no reason to reopen its shatterdome," replied Mako. "That's why your cousin and Sasha are still here. They figured they would be of more use here then in Russia."

Lily nodded her head in understanding.

"Do they know I'm coming?" asked Lily.

"Marshal Hensen told me that he would inform them of your arrival."

"I see."

Mixed feelings surfaced in Lily's heart.

"Do they know what happened to Jack?" asked Lily, nervousness making it known among the wrestling emotions in her heart.

"Yes, they were made aware the day it happened," replied Mako.

A bit of disappointment nestled in Lily's heart at not being the one to tell Aleksis of what happened to his cousin, but then again, she really did not know he was alive.

The elevator slowed to a stop and the elevator doors slid opened to reveal the two people Lily came all the way from Alaska to see.

"ALEKSIS! SASHA!" exclaimed Lily.

Lily dropped her backpack off her shoulder and ran into Aleksis's bearish-like arms. She gripped her arms tight around his waist and buried her face in her cousin's shoulder. Aleksis's chest heaved as he let out a loud laugh. A tidal wave of emotion overcame Lily, causing tears to start soaking her cousin's jacket.

"Little one," murmured Sasha in Russian.

"I don't mean to interrupt," said Raleigh from behind Lily, holding her bag. "But maybe this reunion would be best had in a less public area."

Lily looked around through her blurry eyes and noticed a few people were giving them strange looks.

"Sorry," whispered Lily.

Raleigh gave Lily her bag and walked off down the hallway, making herself scarce in the crowd.

"Come on," said Sasha in Russian. "We can go to our quarters."

Lily nodded and followed Aleksis and Sasha to their quarters. Aleksis carried Lily on his back, Sasha carrying her bag. Once they finally got to where they were going, Lily let her emotions over the past week wash over her. Aleksis put Lily on their bed and wrapped her in his arms. Sasha sat on the other side of Lily, wrapped her own muscular arms around Lily's waist, and rested her head on her shoulder.

"Marshel Hansen told us what happened," said Aleksis.

"I thought we were invincible," said Lily. "That nobody or nothing could hurt us as long as we were together."

"I know that feeling," said Aleksis.

"Every jaeger pilot does," Sasha said. "It is such an indescribable feeling, isn't it?"

Lily nodded. Without her twin brother, Lily felt incomplete.

"What am I going to do now?" asked Lily.

"For now," replied Sasha. "You should take some time to heal, to grieve. Then you can make your way from there."

"I don't think I'll ever be able to completely heal Sasha."

"I know, but your emotions are still raw. It is hard to do anything rationally with such strong emotions coursing through your heart."

Silence fell upon the room but the emotion there was palpable.

"This is depressing," said Aleksis, breaking the silence. "I don't know about you all but I'm hungry."

As if replying to her cousin's remark, Lily's stomach growled.

"I could go for some food," Lily said.

"Alright, to the mess hall," said Sasha. "You can leave your bag here Lily."

"Thanks Sasha."

Lily stood up and wiped away her tears. She could feel the tight skin around her eyes. Sasha handed Lily a tissue from the tissue box that lay hidden in the shelf of the nightstand next to the king-sized bed and Lily cleaned out her nose. Lily threw away the tissue and turned to her cousins.

"Alright, let's go," said Lily.

The pair stood up, both towering over her. Lily only stood at Sasha's shoulder. Lily remembered when she and Jack were in school, they would always get bullied because of their short stature.

"Let's go ladies," said Aleksis, holding the door open for them.

"Who ever said chivalry was dead," said Sasha.

Lily giggled at Sasha's remark and followed her out the door. The hallway was fairly quiet and empty. A few people walked by and gave a curt nod. The mess hall was fairly busier. Loud chatter filled the room. Lily, Aleksis, and Sasha got their lunches and grabbed a seat.

"That's not a whole lot there," said Aleksis.

"Not all of us are seven feet tall and way over two hundred and fifty pounds Aleksis," retorted Lily.

"I think what he is trying to say is," interjected Sasha. "That is little, even for a person your size."

"What are you, my mother?!"

Lily stood up with tray in hand and moved to the other end of the table. She could feel a few eyes staring at her but chose to ignore them. Lily stared down at her untouched salad, anger brewing in her heart.

"Excuse me," said someone in English.

Lily looked up to her right to see a tall, and rather muscular, man standing at the edge of table. Based on his accent, he was from Australia.

"Is there gonna be a problem here?" asked the Australian, his tone stern but calm.

"Just a disagreement," Lily replied shyly.

"I'm Chuck Hansen by the way," he said.

"Chuck Hansen?" asked Lily, taking his hand. "I thought you died during the battle at the breach."

Chuck sat down across from Lily before answering.

"Marshal Pentecost managed to get me out just before Striker Eureka self-destructed. Unfortunately he wasn't so lucky."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I'm Lily Kingston."

Lily was slightly disappointed that she could not meet Marshal Pentecost but the disappointment was short lived.

"He was a good man. By the way, my father told me about what happened a few days ago. I should be the one offering my condolences, not you."

"It's okay. So what are you doing in Hong Kong Mr. Hansen?"

"Call me Chuck. Mr. Hansen makes me feel old. The Australian shatterdome is still out of commission, so there no point in me being there. What are you doing in Hong Kong lieutenant?"

"Please, call me Lily. I'm just visiting family since I'm without a co-pilot and not really of use right now."

"You have family here?"

"Yeah, Aleksis is my cousin on my mother's side."

Aleksis lifted his head at the mention of his name.

"You two are related?" asked Chuck, a little taken aback.

"Yes we are," replied Lily.

"I never would have guessed. You two have very different fighting styles."

"That's why Sasha is his co-pilot and not me."

Chuck chuckled.

"I suppose so," Chuck said. "So what are you going to do now that you are without a co-pilot?"

"Well, I still have to organize to Jack's funeral," replied Lily. "That could take a while. Then I'm probably going to have to find myself another co-pilot. That could also take a while."

"It seems you have a lot on your plate lofty. Well if you ever feel like takin' some steam off, come find me. I'm sure if you're still planning on staying employed, you need to keep your fightin' skills sharp'."

"Thanks."

"No problem."

Chuck stood up and walked away, disappearing into the crowd. Once he was out of sight, Lily turned around to see her cousins staring at her knowingly.

"What?" asked Lily, reverting to Russian.

"Do you like him?" asked Sasha.

"What makes you think I like him?"

"Because you were staring at his butt as he walked away."

"Shut up, no I wasn't."

Lily blushed and turned away, hoping not to get caught.

"It is alright little cousin," said Aleksis. "Do not be ashamed of your emotions but do not let them decide your actions either."

"Yes Aleksis," Lily responded, turning back to her cousin.

"Good, now finish your lunch."

Without a response, Lily ate her salad in silence. The chatter of the mess hall became white noise as Lily nibbled at her lunch.

"Something on your mind little one?" asked Sasha, concern etched on her face.

"I'm just wondering what to do after lunch," Lily answered. "The trip to Hong Kong was sort of last second you know?"

"Yes I know. You know what, how about we go out on the town after lunch? I don't believe you have ever been to Hong Kong."

"No, Jack and I never found the time with school and patrol and what not."

"Of course, well now you will have the chance."

"I just wish Jack was here to see Hong Kong too. He wanted to see what it was like in person."

Aleksis patted Lily on the head and gave her a small reassuring smile.

"For now though, just eat," Aleksis said, removing his hand from the top Lily's head.

Lily nodded and returned to her lunch. Silence hung over the table as Lily finished her lunch. Lily moved her empty plate away once she finished chewing.

"You know there's more food available," said Sasha.

"I know," replied Lily. "I'm just not too hungry right now."

Sasha just nodded at Lily's response.

"Well since you two are still eating, I'm going to explore a little," said Lily, standing up.

"Okay," replied Aleksis. "Just don't leave the shatterdome."

"Yes Aleksis," Lily said as she walked away.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

The chatter of the mess hall slowly faded as Lily walked away. Other people roamed the halls but it was much quieter then the mess hall. Now that Lily was alone, she could finally think.

_Who will want to be the co-pilot of an emotional wreck?_ thought Lily. _Moreover, even if I do get one, who will want to stay after they find out about Shadow's secret._

Loneliness began to rear its ugly head in Lily's heart. Out of reflex, Lily crammed it to the back of her mind, ignoring it completely.

"Lily!" someone exclaimed, bringing Lily out of her thoughts. Lily looked up to see Chuck walking toward her. Lily could feel her heart rate go up a little.

"Where is your cousin and his wife?" he asked, curiosity showing in his sky blue eyes.

"They're still eating lunch," Lily answered. "Can I help you with something Chuck?"

"Yeah, um, I haven't been in combat in a while and my skills are starting to get a little rusty, so I was wondering if you wanted to practice with me?"

"Sure, just let me change into something more comfortable."

"Okay, I'll meet you in the kwoon room."

Lily nodded and made her way to Sasha and Aleksis' quarters, her bags still sitting on the bed. Lily slipped on a pear of sweats and a gray t-shirt with the PPDC insignia on it. Once Lily put her hair up in a ponytail and slipped her black combat boots back on, Lily left the room.

_I don't know where the kwoon room even is _thought Lily.

Lily looked around and saw someone roaming the halls. He looked out of place. He wore a white dress shirt and a loose black tie hung from his neck. Glasses with black frames rested on his nose and had black pants.

"Excuse me sir," Lily called out in English because this man obviously did not look Chinese.

The man looked her way and his eyes seemed to have lit up.

"Me?" he asked, pointing to himself.

"Yes you," said Lily. "Where is the kwoon room?"

The man walked up to her before answering Lily's question.

"Go all the way down to the end of this hall and turn left. It should be the only room on the right."

"Thank you. What is your name by the way?"

"My name is Newton. It is nice to meet you Lieutenant Kingston."

"You heard of me?"

"Of course, you and your brother are legendary. You two are the first people to pilot a Mark-6 jaeger. I'm told it is extremely hard."

"It's not easy. Well it's nice to meet you Newton and thank you for the directions."

"No problem."

Newton turned around and went back to what he was doing before. Lily walked in the other direction and headed to the kwoon room. When she got there, Lily saw not only Chuck but Raleigh as well.

"Raleigh, what are you doing here?" asked Lily as she walked in.

Raleigh turned around to include Lily in whatever conversation he was having with Chuck. Chuck was wearing a white tank top and black sweat pants. He was currently barefoot.

"Chuck was just telling me that you and he are going to practice together," Raleigh replied. "I want to watch."

"An audience. Awesome."

Raleigh walked off the mats and sat down against the left wall. After Lily took off her boots and put them by the edge of the mat, Chuck handed Lily a staff and both rangers made their way to opposite ends of the mats. Once they faced each other, they got into their fighting stance. The fight did not even begin and already Lily could feel the adrenaline flowing through her veins. Chuck made the first move by trying to attack from above, trying to use his superior height to his advantage.

Lily blocked the attack and pushed Chuck away. Before Chuck could regain his balance, Lily attacked Chuck in the gut. He fell on his back and Lily put her staff to Chuck's chin.

"Point," she said.

Lily helped Chuck up and went back to a fighting stance. Instead of attacking from above this time, Chuck attacked from the side. Lily blocked it. Chuck withdrew his staff and tried to attack from the other side. Again, Lily blocked it. This time, Chuck attacked Lily's knee, causing it to give under her weight. Before Lily could regain her own balance, Chuck attacked the back of her other knee. Lily fell backward. The end of a staff came right into her field of vision.

"Point," Chuck said.

Chuck gave Lily a hand up and both got back into their fighting positions. This time, Lily made the first move. Since she could have, no hope of successfully attacking from above since her opponent was well over a foot taller then her, Lily made for his own knees. Chuck jumped and then tried to attack from above on his way down. Lily slide out of the way before he could make contact. Lily then jabbed Chuck in the side.

"Point," Raleigh said this time.

Chuck gave Raleigh a quick glare as he got back into his fighting stance. Chuck made the first move this time by trying to make way for Lily's chest. Lily blocked the attack and tried to attack Chuck's gut. Chuck blocked and attacked Lily's head.

"Point," said Chuck.

"They're good," someone whispered. Lily looked behind Chuck to see Mako sitting next to Raleigh. Mako turned her head and caught Lily looking at her.

"What's the score?" asked Raleigh.

"The score is 2-2," Chuck answered before Lily could even say anything.

Mako nodded approvingly.

Without a word, Chuck and Lily again got into their fighting stances. Lily made the first attack by going for Chuck's side. He blocked and pushed Lily with his own staff. Then Chuck made for Lily's gut. Lily could feel the salad in her stomach shift but luckily, it did not come up. She regained her balance by propping herself on her staff. Lily dodged Chuck's attack to her knees by jumping and tapped Chuck's head.

"Point," Mako said.

Lily just gave Mako a quick glance before setting up for the next round. Lily again attacked first by going after Chuck's right knee. Chuck moved out of the way and tapped Lily in the head.

"Point," said Raleigh. "Score is 3-3."

"I think I saw enough," said Mako, standing up along with Raleigh. "Based on what I seen, you two are physically compatible. What do you think Raleigh?"

"I think so," Raleigh responded.

"So I get to be back in action?" asked Chuck excitedly.

"If it is alright with your father," Mako said.

Chuck just gave Mako a smug look and turned to Lily.

"Well, it looks like you might have a new co-pilot," he said.

"I'll try to contain the joy," responded Lily sarcastically.

"Do you not want a new co-pilot?" asked someone from the entrance of the kwoon room.

All four of the rangers turned their heads to see Sasha and Aleksis standing by the kwoon room entrance. Based on the voice, Aleksis asked the question.

"It's not that I don't want a new co-pilot," Lily replied. "It's just Jack's death is still raw. I still need to time to recover."

"I wasn't suggesting you two have a drift test right away," said Mako. "I'm just saying that Chuck can be a potential co-pilot. And besides the drift equipment here is different from the drift equipment Shadow Samurai uses."

"Alright."

Lily turned to Chuck and thanked him for the practice.

"No need for thanks," he said. "It was very interesting."

Chuck took Lily's staff and put away along with his own. Lily put her combat boots back on and walked over to Aleksis and Sasha.

"You're all sweaty," said Aleksis. "You should take a shower."

Lily lifted her arm and a wave of stink hit her nose.

"Maybe I should," Lily said, putting her arm back to her side.

Chuck walked up right next Lily, sweat also clinging to his skin.

"I think we could both use a shower sheila," he said.

"That's what I was thinking," Lily said.

"I didn't have time for lunch yet. With all the errands I've runnin', I didn't have time to eat. You wanna join me?

Lily was just about to say she just ate when she heard her stomach growl.

"I guess a bite to eat won't hurt," Lily replied.

"Awesome," Chuck said. "Meet you by the mess hall in a half-hour."

"I will be there."

Aleksis and Sasha shrugged their shoulders.

Lily turned back to her cousins and asked if she could use their shower.

"Of course," they replied simultaneously.

Lily turned to Raleigh and Mako to say her goodbyes and then followed her cousins to their room. Her bags were still right where she left them, on the bed. Lily opened one of them up and got out a light brown t-shirt and a pair of blue jeans.

Sasha led Lily into the bathroom, showed her the workings of the shower, and gave her a white clean towel. Lily turned on the shower and stripped off the clothes that clung to her body. Sweat had soaked through most of her bra and some of her shirt. When Lily stepped into the shower, the warm water began to loosen up Lily's muscles. However, dull pain in her back still remained.

Once Lily had washed off the sweat from her body, Lily turned off the shower and dried herself off before stepping out. After blow drying her hair and getting into fresh clothes, Lily threw her stinky clothes into the hamper and made her way to the mess hall.

Lily walked into the mess hall. It seemed there were a few less people but it was still noisy. Out of the corner of her eye, Lily could see Chuck waving her down. In front of him were two trays of food. Lily walked over to the table he was sitting at. The other people who were sitting at the table made room so she could sit across from Chuck.

"How you feeling sheila?" asked Chuck, shoving one of two trays of food towards her.

"I'm great," Lily lied. "How about you?"

"A little tired," replied Chuck.

Chuck began to eat the food off the tray in front of him. Lily's stomach growled at her again, reminding her of its hunger. Lily ate the food that sat on her own tray. It was a cheeseburger with mashed potatoes and green beans. Lily made straight for the cheeseburger and started eating.

"I figured that puny little salad you had couldn't hold you over until dinner," Chuck teased.

"I wasn't in the mood to eat but my stomach seems to have a mind of its own," said Lily.

Chuck smiled as he chewed a part of his steak.

"So when are you going back to America?" asked Chuck after swallowing his food.

"In a month," Lily replied.

Chuck nodded as he also took another bite of his lunch. When Lily took a bite of her own food, Lily felt a flare of sharp pain go up her back. Without even thinking, Lily jolted and dropped her cheeseburger.

"You okay sheila?" asked Chuck, some of his steak still in his mouth.

"I'm fine," Lily lied. "Just bit my tongue."

Chuck giggled and continued with his lunch. Lily just glared at him and continued with her cheeseburger. The pain in her back returned to its usual dull state. After she finished her cheeseburger, Lily nibbled on some of the green beans and mashed potatoes.

"Are you going to finish those?" asked Chuck, pointing to her mashed potatoes.

"No, you can have it," Lily replied, pushing her tray in Chuck's direction.

A look of happiness flashed across Chuck's face as he began eating Lily's mashed potatoes. Lily just rolled her eyes as Chuck finished off her lunch. Once he finished, he put the fork down and burped.

"That was amazing," he said.

"I bet it was," said Lily.

Before Chuck could respond, Sasha and Aleksis walked up to her.

"Hello little one," said Sasha in English. "Did you eat?"

"Yes Sasha," Lily answered. "What are you guys doing?"

"We were wondering if you wanted to go into town," said Aleksis. "Chuck can come too if he wants."

"I can't," replied Chuck. "I promised the geek squad I would help them do some heavy lifting."

"That's okay," said Lily.

Lily turned to Sasha and asked, "So when are we going?"

"Whenever you are ready," said Sasha.

"I just finished ready so we can go now."

"Alright, let's go."

Lily stood up and said goodbye to Chuck before leaving the mess hall. She followed her cousins to the elevator and went down to the lobby.

"Let's go explore Hong Kong," said Lily as she, Sasha, and Aleksis walked through the sliding glass doors.

After spending the rest of the afternoon in Hong Kong and doing some shopping, Lily and her cousins returned to the shatterdome. The sun had for several hours by the time they were on their way to the elevator.

"I enjoyed myself," said Lily. "Thank you for taking me."

"I'm glad you did," said Aleksis. "Do you know where you are sleeping tonight?"

"No I don't actually. Mako never contacted me about that. I guess she assumed I would be staying with you guys."

"There's nothing wrong with that," Sasha chimed in.

"Will that be okay?" asked Lily.

"You are family Lily. You are always welcome to stay with us."

"Thanks guys. I really appreciate."

"No problem," Aleksis said.

Once the heavy metal doors opened, the trio walked to their quarters.

"I know where I'm sleeping tonight," said Aleksis as he closed the door behind them.

"Where are you sleeping?" asked Lily, turning to her cousin.

"The couch."

"I don't want to kick you out of your own bed Aleksis."

"If you were any other girl besides Sasha, I would have you sleep on the couch. But you're my cousin, so you are sleeping on the bed."

"The couch is so small and you are so…big."

"Do not worry about me Lily; I have slept on the couch before."

"What did you do?"

"Sometimes Sasha has a tendency to kick in her sleep."

Lily giggled as she imagined Sasha "kicking" Aleksis out of the bed.

"Well kiddies," said Sasha. "It's time for bed."

"Yes mommy," said Lily in a pouty voice.

Sasha just shook her head as Lily rummaged through her things to get to her pajamas. Her pajamas just consisted of a white t-shirt and old navy blue gym shorts.

After Lily changed in the bathroom, Lily came out to see Aleksis in nothing but boxers and Sasha just a black t-shirt and grey leggings.

"Ready for bed?" asked Sasha.

Lily nodded and Aleksis just yawned.

"I will take that as a yes," Sasha said.

Lily smiled as she put her street clothes into her bag. She then took her bag and just put it by the dresser. Aleksis collapsed on the couch and Lily lied down by the edge of the bed that was closest to the wall while Sasha lied on the edge closest to the couch, which was also were the night lamp was.

Without a word, Sasha turned off the light and darkness enveloped the room. Soon after, sleep claimed Lily, the pain in her back still holding strong.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

The next several weeks went by pretty much the same. Lily, Sasha, and Aleksis ate breakfast together; Lily went to the shatterdome gym while Sasha and Aleksis sparred with each other, had lunch, then Lily sparred with Chuck. Then Sasha, Aleksis, and Lily went out to Hong Kong, this time bringing Chuck with them since he did not have to do anymore heavy lifting. The day finally came when Lily had to go back to Anchorage.

"I still need to do some more examinations," said Mako while Lily was finishing packing. "Raleigh is going to stay here and help."

"Someone has to keep those little creeps in line," Raleigh said.

"I understand," said Lily.

Lily threw her backpack over her shoulder and followed Mako and Raleigh to the elevator. Aleksis and Sasha had to teach a class at the academy, so Lily had already said her goodbyes to them.

"Just don't get in to any trouble while I'm gone," Lily said. "Or at least try not to."

"I promise," said Mako.

"I'll try," said Raleigh.

Mako elbowed Raleigh in the side. The trio walked into the elevator. The elevator climbed to the helicopter pad and the doors opened to reveal a sunny day with not a cloud in the sky. A black helicopter stood on the pad, the propellers moving in a blur. Standing right outside the helicopter was Chuck. In both of his hands and on his back were bags.

"Are you coming with me?" asked Lily over the whirling propellers as she approached Chuck.

"Of course," Chuck replied. "It's been a while since I seen my old man in person."

Glad that she was not going alone, Lily turned to Mako and Raleigh and gave them each a hug goodbye. She then climbed into the helicopter and sat across from Chuck. Once the door closed, the helicopter lifted off the pad and took to the skies. Lily waved goodbye to Mako and Raleigh before they disappeared from view. As soon as Lily turned around another flare of pain shot up Lily's' back. Lily sat completely still until the pain had past.

"You okay sheila?" asked Chuck, slight concern showing in his blue eyes.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Lily lied.

Chuck just nodded and looked out the window. The flight to Anchorage was silent. Occasionally, a question would be asked, but besides that, not a word was spoken. When they finally reached Anchorage, Lily and Chuck had dozed off. Standing on the pad was Chuck's father, Marshal Hansen. When the door slide open, Chuck walked up to his father and greeted him.

"It's been a while old man," said Chuck.

"Yes it has," Herc replied, a mixture of relief and happiness shining in his eyes.

The two men gave each other a brief one-arm hug. Herc then turned to Lily and said, "Did you enjoy your stay at Hong Kong lieutenant?"

"Yes sir," Lily replied. "I enjoyed it highly."

"That's good, I'm glad you enjoyed yourself. Now let us get out of this damn cold. This weather isn't natural."

Lily just rolled her eyes, having grown up in the Alaskan cold, and followed the marshal to the elevator.

"Anything interesting happen while I was gone?" asked Lily.

"George and Steven kept asking me when you would be coming back," Herc answered. "Jane and Sarah have been trying to keep them busy."

"I'll go talk to them when I get the chance," Lily replied.

After a few seconds of silence, a look of epiphany flashed across Herc's face.

"Before I forget Lily, Mako told me you and Chuck has been sparring with each other. Both she and Raleigh told me that they believe you two are compatible."

"What was your response?" Chuck asked before Lily had a chance to.

"I would like to see it for myself, later today if it isn't too much trouble."

"No," Chuck and Lily said together.

Chuck threw Lily a quick smile before the elevator doors opened.

"LILY!"

Before Lily could react, Lily was thrown to the ground and was being squished by two men. Lily blinked a few times to get her vision to focus. Above her were Steven and George looking down at her.

"Sorry," said George, giving her a hand up.

"It's okay," said Lily. "By the way, this is Chuck."

George and Steven looked at Chuck.

"Nice to meet you Chuck," Steven said.

Chuck shook both their hands but did not say a word. The boys then turned their attention back to Lily.

"We missed you," said George.

"I missed you guys too," replied Lily. "And as much as I love talking to you guys in an elevator, can we take this conversation to the hallway?"

"Awww, I like having conversations in elevators though."

Lily just rolled her eyes and walked into the hallway, Chuck, George, and Steven close behind.

"So what have you two been up too while I was gone?" asked Lily, turning around to face them.

"Jane and Sarah had us pulling double duty," replied Steven. "I think they were starting getting annoyed by the fact that we kept asking when you would be coming back."

"Yeah, the marshal told me about that."

The two co-pilots shot Herc a look before continuing the conversation.

"Well, we have to go," said Steven. "Our first shift of the day is about to start and we have to get ready."

"Alright," said Lily. "Have fun."

"Oh we will," said George sarcastically.

Lily hugged the brother's goodbye and turned to Chuck.

"Interesting pair," said Herc. "Anyway, Lily you can go unpack, and Chuck, I will show you were you will be staying."

"Okay," said Lily, knowing a dismissal when she sees one.

"Hey Lily," said Chuck. "Want to spar later?"

"Sure, when did you have in mind?"

"About an hour and a half?"

"Alright, I'll see you later then."

Chuck nodded and then followed his father down the hallway. Lily turned the other way and went straight to her quarters. She did not even bother to unpack. Lily just threw her things on her bed and went straight to Shadow Samurai's hangar.

When she got there, Lily felt a small sense of relief. Shadow Samurai was standing in his alcove, in perfect condition. Lily walked up to the conn-pod and walked in. It was completely empty, save for the harness in the center. Lily closed the conn-pod door and walked to the harness. She laid her hand on the console that stood in front of the harness.

"I'm back," said Lily aloud.

In front of her appeared a samurai. He had black armor and a silver mask. Silver chain mail hung over his torso. Underneath the samurai's shin guards were leather leggings. On his left hip was a sheathed katana. The samurai stood a couple inches taller than her.

"It is good to see you again little one," he said, his bass voice a balm to her nerves. "How was your trip to Hong Kong?"

"It was good," replied Lily. "I may have found my next co-pilot as well."

"Really? Do I know of him?"

"His name is Chuck Hansen. He is the marshal's son. I sparred with him while I was in Hong Kong. Mako and Raleigh believe that we are physically compatible."

"Are you?"

"I think so."

"You either know or you don't, there is no think. Now are you two physically compatible?"

"Yes we are."

"That's more like it."

With that, the samurai disappeared.

"Always good talking to you," Lily mumbled.

Lily left the conn-pod and noticed Chuck walking toward her. For a second, Lily could feel her heart skip a beat.

"Hey sheila," he said. "Whatcha doing?"

"Just making sure my jaeger is the way I left it," Lily replied.

Chuck walked passed Lily and gave Shadow Samurai a close observation. After a couple minutes, Chuck turned to Lily and said, "So what is it like piloting a Mark-6 jaeger?"

"It is hard to describe," Lily replied. "Especially that is the only class I piloted it in."

"I understand. Anyway, Dad wants to see us spar in the kwoon room in an hour. You up for it?"

"Always."

Chuck smirked and walked away, disappearing into the crowd. Lily gave her jaeger one last look and returned to her quarters. Since she did not really stay for more than five seconds in her quarters when she got to the shatterdome, Lily noticed that all of Jack's belongings were missing.

_The team must have confiscated all of Jack's belongings while I was in Hong Kong_ thought Lily.

Lily went over to her bed, Jack's old bed hanging above her own, and unpacked her clothes. She threw the dirty clothes into the hamper, put her toothbrush, and comb into her bathroom. Once Lily had put everything away, she changed into a black tank top and green military pants. After she put her hair up, Lily made her way to the kwoon room.

When she walked in, Lily noticed that Chuck and Herc were already there. They were off to the side, watching the going on of the kwoon room. There were a couple other co-pilot teams practicing, but besides that, the room was empty. Lily walked up to the Hansens.

Herc turned to Lily and said, "You ready?"

"Yes sir," Lily replied.

Chuck and Lily grabbed a staff from the rack that went along the length of the room and walked onto the mats. The other co-pilots walked off the mats, more interested in just watching them instead of continuing their practice.

Lily and Chuck got into their fighting stance, their eyes locked together. They danced as one, one anticipating the other's moves. When Lily scored one hit, Chuck managed to score another. When Chuck scored a hit, Lily retaliated with another hit.

"They're good," Lily heard one of the pilots say.

When Herc decided to end the match, the score was six-six. Chuck and Lily were both panting and covered in sweat.

"I have seen all I needed to see," Herc said. "Both of you are physically compatible."

Chuck and Lily smiled.

"However," said Herc, looking at Lily. "You're emotions are still raw from your previous co-pilot's death. There will be no drift test until after his funeral. Understood?"

"Yes sir," Lily, only slightly disappointed she would have to wait even longer to get back in the conn-pod.

"Good, both of you are dismissed."

Lily and Chuck put their staff's back on the rack and left the kwoon room.

"It looks like you found your new co-pilot," said Chuck. "I finally get to be useful."

Lily just chuckled.

"I'm glad I could help," Lily replied. "Well I'll see you later then."

Chuck gave a curt nod and walked off, leaving Lily by herself. The muscles in Lily's back and arms were tightly wound and the dull pain still lingered.

_I think a hot shower would do me some good_ thought Lily.

Lily began making her way to her quarters when she heard someone call her name. She turned to see Jane walking toward her.

"It is good to have you back lieutenant," Jane said. "How was Hong Kong?"

"It was good," Lily replied. "Did you need something colonel?"

"Yes, we still need to talk about the small matter of your brother's funeral?"

"Of course, but first may I take a shower? I was just training in the kwoon room."

"Yes you may. Meet me in my office when you are done."

"Yes ma'am."

Once Lily had finally made her way to her quarters, Lily took a quick shower to wash off the sweat that was clinging to her body.

_I was hoping to take a longer shower but at least I got one_ thought Lily.

Even though her muscles were more relaxed, they were still tense and the pain were still holding strong. After Lily dried herself off and changed into clean clothes, she made her way to Jane's office.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

The walk to Jane's office was a bit of uncomfortable for Lily. A couple times, Lily would get random flares of pain in her back. She had to stay completely still and wait until the pain had passed.

_I have to see the doctor after I talk to the colonel _thought Lily.

When Lily finally got to Jane's office, she knocked on the door.

"Come in!" said Jane from the other side of the door.

Lily opened the door and walked in, closing the door behind her. She walked to the front of Jane's desk and stopped there.

"You wanted to talk about my brother's funeral colonel?" Lily asked.

"Yes I did," Jane replied. "Sit down lieutenant."

Lily sat down in one of the gray chairs that stood across from the desk.

"Right now we have Jack's body in the mortuary," said Jane. "We were thinking about burying his body in the veteran cemetery not too far from here."

"It's okay," said Lily. "Anyway, I was hoping to have a small funeral. Just have the formation, the tech crew for Shadow Samurai, Aleksis, and Sasha at the funeral."

"I understand. Anything else?"

"I don't want anything to snazzy. I was thinking we could have the wake at the church our grandparents went to.

"I think I can arrange that. Just one more question. When would be a good time for you?"

"Sooner the better would be best."

"Alright, how about this Saturday then?"

"Sounds good to me colonel."

"Alright then lieutenant, that is all. You are dismissed."

Lily stood up and thanked Jane before leaving her office. She stood in the hallway for a few seconds.

_Today's Friday _thought Lily. _That means the funeral will be in will be tomorrow._ _It feels just like yesterday that Jack was taken from me._

Lily shook off the grief that was creeping into her heart and made her way to the nurse's office. The infirmary was almost empty, save for a couple people who may have broken a bone or dislocated their shoulder during training. One of the nurses walked up to her.

"How can I help you lieutenant?" he asked.

"I've been having some really bad pain in my back for the past several weeks," Lily replied. "It's starting to affect my movements."

"How so?"

"It is beginning to become very hard for me to move."

"I see. Well, I will see if I can schedule an appointment for check out of your back. Follow me please."

Lily followed the nurse into the office at the end of the infirmary. In it were a few desks. The nurse walked to the only available computer.

"When would be a good time for you lieutenant?" the nurse asked.

"I have a funeral to attend Saturday and a drift test Sunday but besides that, I'm free," Lily answered.

"Alright, will 2:00 today be good for you?"

"I'm fine with that."

The nurse typed the appointment into the computer and stood up.

"We will see you later lieutenant," he said.

"Thank you," Lily replied.

Lily looked at the clock sitting on the desk. It was noon. Lily than walked out of the infirmary, unsure what to do with herself.

_I have two hours to kill _thought Lily.

With nothing to do, Lily began to wander the corridors aimlessly. For a half hour, Lily walked the halls of the Anchorage shatterdome when Chuck caught up with her.

"Hey sheila, wait up!" Chuck called.

Lily could feel her heart begin to race when Chuck walked up to her.

"What are you to?" he asked, stopping in front of her.

"Nothing much," she replied. "I'm just trying to find something to do."

"Well the nerds want me to do some heavy lifting for them. You want to come with?"

Lily could feel her heart about to explode. It took quite a bit of willpower for her not to blush.

"Sure, I'm game," Lily said.

Lily followed Chuck to the labs. Kaiju parts were sprawled over the dissection tables with scientists surrounding them. Lily walked up to one of the tables. The kaiju part was covered in slime. It was grayish red and soft. Lily felt nauseous and walked away from the table, leaving the scientists to their specimen.

"So what are we lifting?" asked Lily.

"There is just some boxes they want us to move, that's all," Chuck replied.

One of the scientists walked up to them. He took off his slime covered gloves and pulled down his mask.

"Thank you for coming Ranger Hansen," he said.

"No problem," replied Chuck. "What do you want me to move?"

Before the scientist answered, his gaze moved to Lily's direction.

"I don't believe we met," the scientist said. "My name is Jack Rogers."

"I'm Lily," Lily said, not even bothering with her rank.

Jack extended his hand and said, "It's nice to meet you Lily."

"It's nice to meet you too," Lily replied, shaking his hand.

"Now that you two are introduced, what do you want me to do?" Chuck said impatiently.

Jack let go of Lily's hand and turned his gaze back to Chuck and said, "Follow me."

Lily and Chuck followed Jack to the back of the lab were there were several cardboard boxes.

"Kaiju parts just came in earlier this morning from Hong Kong," said Jack. "We would just like you to move the boxes to the tables over there."

Jack pointed to the tables by the entrance of the lab. It seemed rather far to Lily.

"Fine by me," said Chuck. "Leave it to us."

Lily's breath caught for a second when Chuck said "us."

"Thank you," said Jack before leaving.

When Jack was out of earshot, Lily looked at the boxes. They were a little over half her size.

"That's a lot of kaiju parts," Lily said.

"It keeps the scientists happy," Chuck said, walking toward one of the boxes. When he picked it up, he said, "They're not very heavy. You shouldn't have any problems carrying them."

Lily picked up one of the boxes. Despite the low weight-load, it was still hard for her to hold something that was almost as big as she was.

"No problems my butt," mumbled Lily.

Lily walked through the lab, trying her best not run into anything or anyone. She could hear Chuck chuckle as she approached the front of the room.

"Havin' trouble there sheila?" Chuck said.

"Shut up," Lily said.

Lily dumped her load onto the table and made her way back to the back of the lab, Chuck a step behind. By the time they were done, Lily's heart was racing and it felt like her arms were on fire. The pain in her back was on an all-time high

"I'm getting out of shape," said Lily.

"You're not that bad," Chuck replied.

Lily resisted the urge to blush and simple responded with a "thank you." Chuck and Lily left the lab without a single word to any of its other occupants and began to wander the halls of the shatterdome.

"So when is your brother's funeral?" asked Chuck after several minutes of silence.

"Tomorrow," Lily replied.

"That's soon."

"Yeah but I talked to the colonel and the marshal and they said that this Sunday we can do a drift test."

"Awesome. I'm itching to get back in the game."

"Me too."

"Well I'm going to the mess hall lunch for grub. You in sheila?"

Lily looked at her watch. It was 1:50.

"Nah, I'll pass. I got other stuff to do."

"Okay, have fun with whatever you're going to do."

"Thanks."

Lily walked off away from Chuck and went to the infirmary.


End file.
